Video: Exploring the geysers at Yellowstone

There’s only a few places in the world to see this sight – a geyser – and Yellowstone is one of them

There is so much natural beauty around you that it’s hard to believe nature can really be like that.

Check out our video on the geysers at Yellowstone!

On Google+ I saw a photo of geysers at Yellowstone and someone had commented – “Is this even real?”

The colours of geysers are something else. Like something you’d see in a dream.

The Artist’s Paint Pots in Yellowstone bubbling away and letting off steam

The colours of the geysers are beautiful

Geysers around the world

Geysers are quite a unique natural event because they only erupt in five countries around the world – Chile, New Zealand, Russia, Iceland and in the USA at Yellowstone.

And the geysers at Yellowstone makeup more than 50% of the total number of the world’s geysers – so if you want to see a geyser erupt, yellowstone is the place to go.

The first geyser we saw erupt in the Artist’s Paint Pots area of Yellowstone

Discovering geysers

It must have been amazing to be the first person to come across geysers at Yellowstone. Watching steam and boiling water explode out of the ground is something else and to be the first person to witness it would’ve been a little eerie.

Science wasn’t all that advanced more than 200 years ago when the first white person came across the geysers at Yellowstone and you can only imagine their awe.

Which is easy to do even today – watching one explode is like watching special effects in nature’s own movie.

Each time I saw a geyser erupt, I would be amongst the tourists going ‘Ahhh’ and ‘Ohhhh’.

Even if you know the science behind it – that underneath the earth’s crust hot rocks are pushing boiling water to the surface – it’s still fascinating to witness.

The Old Faithful geyser erupting which is the most popular geyser to watch due to its proximity to the visitor’s centre

Science of the geysers at Yellowstone

But one of the best things of the geysers isn’t their beauty – it’s the way in which they have helped to advance science.

Important science discoveries have happened at Yellowstone.

From one molecule found in the geysers at Yellowstone, scientists were able to map a DNA strand for the first time, leading to medical diagnosis of AIDS and advancements in forensics such as DNA fingerprinting.

How cool is that?!

Scientists have to be extra careful when studying geysers so as not to burn themselves

From a distance the steam from the geysers looks like a forest fire

Watching a geyser come to life

Like with science experiments, you need to be patient to see a geyser erupt.

We waited for more than two hours to see the Grand Geyser erupt one afternoon.

But it was totally worth it.

The Grand Geyser only erupts about once a day but it is the highest predictable geyser in the world – so you can imagine that it was pretty special to be able to watch it.

Firstly it erupted for about three minutes and then it sucked the water back down again quickly before erupting even higher – more than 60 metres!

It completely dwarfed the tall pine trees behind it.

And when watching that, I almost had to pinch myself because once again at Yellowstone I felt like I was in a fantasy world because nature’s beauty just didn’t seem real.

The Grand Geyser erupting was a sight to behold

As always, we welcome your comments.

Have you been to Yellowstone? What did you think of the geysers?

I don’t think that’s a good idea Dave…

Video script

Carmen VO: Yellowstone blew our minds. It’s easy to feel as though you’re on another planet as you stroll through one of America’s most famous national parks.

Dave PTC: So we’re at a place called The Artist’s Paint Pots in Yellowstone National Park. It’s an area where there are a lot of thermal hot springs. And the hot water is just below the ground beneath a thin crust, so you have to stay on the path.

Dave VO: People have died at Yellowstone after leaving the paths and being burned by geysers.

Dave VO: So we didn’t stray from the boardwalks during our explorations!

Carmen VO: So what is a geyser? Found near volcanic areas, the magma under the earth’s surface heats rocks which boil water, creating a pressure that bursts through the ground and sprays out of a geyser’s surface vent.

Dave VO: From a distance, the steam from the geysers looks like smoke, giving the impression that parts of the forest is on fire.

Carmen PTC: Wow, the steam is so hot, it’s like being in a sauna.

Dave VO: Another phenomenon caused by geysers is the squelching mud pots. They look like potion in a witch’s cauldron as they bubble away.

Carmen VO: You can see here just how the ground surrounding the geysers is very fragile and can crumble suddenly, giving way to the boiling water underneath.

Dave VO: But the best part of geyser watching is seeing them erupt. Sometimes you need to wait. And wait. And wait.

Carmen VO: But then you’ll be pleasantly rewarded like we were when we saw this geyser in the mudpots area erupt, spraying steam and boiling water into the air. By the time the water reaches you, it has cooled and will leave droplets on your skin.

Dave VO: It was the first geyser we saw erupt and we were impressed.

Carmen VO: But the geyser tourists all clamber to see is Old Faithful located near Yellowstone’s resorts.

Dave VO: Old Faithful erupts every hour to an hour and a half and the eruptions last about two and a half minutes.

Carmen VO: And there’s nothing more fascinating than watching nature’s own water fountain.

Dave PTC: So cool

Carmen VO: So cool indeed Dave!

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About the author

Carmen has been nomadic since May 2013 and the co-founder of Double-Barrelled Travel. She loves experiencing new cultures and learning new languages. She is having the most fun when skiing down a mountain, scuba diving in the Caribbean or curled up with a good book.

I LOVE Yellowstone! I haven’t been since I was 15 so it is definitely due for another visit soon! And I didn’t realize that geysers occur in only 5 countries, pretty cool! I just discovered your blog and am looking forward to following you both on your journey. 🙂